Please note that the Drumkit Style Bank was updated in June 2014 and page 6 of this document has been updated to include the latest version.

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1 Contact: Daniel Beadle Direct line: To cc SQA Coordinators Secondary Schools and FE Colleges LEA contacts, SQA Business Development Managers National Qualifications - Music Update June 2013 Please pass this on to the member of staff responsible for Music. This is the first in a new series of updates on the new National Qualifications in Music and Music Technology. This contains important information for session in preparation for the first examination of the new qualifications in The focus of this update is Music Performing. Contents: 1. Approval of Music 2. Sampling of Performing Programmes 3. Performing Programmes - new timings 4. New Instrument added to approved list - Ukulele 5. Drumkit Requirements Appendix Please pass on this information to your Music teaching staff and Music instrumental staff. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any of the contents of this update with us, please contact Daniel Beadle (contact details above) or myself on or mary.mcdonald@sqa.org.uk Mary McDonald Qualifications Manager Humanities, Arts and Business Please note that the Drumkit Style Bank was updated in June 2014 and page 6 of this document has been updated to include the latest version. Please note the performance programme duration was confirmed for the new Advanced Higher Music Course, commencing in August 2015 and page 3 of this document has been updated with these requirements. 1

2 1. Approval of Music The SQA approval of music service will continue for two more sessions: May - October 2013 and May - October 2014 and this will be for the current qualifications only, ie Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2, current Higher and current Advanced Higher. The approval of music for external Performing exams in Music has been in operation for nearly 10 years, and centres and SQA have worked in partnership to collate large libraries of validated/approved materials on a centre by centre basis. For the new external Performing exams in Music, starting with N5 in 2014, this system will change and there will be no further requirement to send music to SQA for pre-approval. You will be able draw on the following as sources of material for external exams: music already approved by SQA for the current qualifications lists of exemplified pieces contained in National Qualifications Music: Performing document published October pieces from a range of external Music examination syllabus If you want to present pieces which are not from any of the sources listed above, you can do so but must ensure that the material meets the standard for any particular level. There is a new flexibility here in that centres are now free to collaborate and share materials. This could take place on a neighbourhood, consortia or local authority basis and you will be able to continue to build up exam repertoire in this way. 2. Sampling of Performing Programmes Starting with the first external exam of the new qualifications - National 5 Music in there will be no sampling of performing programmes. Candidates will now perform complete pieces and complete programmes and you should prepare and rehearse them for this. This holds for all instruments. The rationale for this is as follows: for the current Music qualifications there has been a requirement that, in the external Performing exam, the Visiting Assessor samples pieces from a candidate's programme of music. The reason for this has been to ensure a clear difference and delineation between the current Music: Performing Unit and the external exam. In the Unit, the candidate plays complete pieces which are assessed internally on a pass/fail basis; in the external exam pieces are sampled and a mark is assigned to each piece. The focus of new Unit Music: Performing Skills is skills building - the ongoing acquisition of skills through learning to perform sections of music and building skills in this way. This is different from external exam requirements, so there is no further need for SQA to sample candidates' pieces in the exam. The Unit and Course requirements are now different. Please note that the requirement for sampling belongs to the current qualifications and will continue for 2014 and 2015 for Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2, current Higher and current Advanced Higher. 2

3 3. Performing Programmes new timings The Added Value Unit at National 4 and the external assessments at National 5, new Higher and new Advanced Higher require each candidate to perform on two instruments or one instrument and voice. The duration of the entire programme at each level is detailed below: Level Associated Board equivalent (minimum standard) National 4 Grade 2 8 minutes National 5 Grade 3 8 minutes Higher Grade 4 12 minutes Advanced Higher Grade 5 18 minutes Total programme duration for two instruments / one instrument and voice There is flexibility in the time allocated to each instrument/voice, but care should be taken when selecting and timing programmes to ensure that the overall maximum time is not exceeded. Level Associated Board equivalent (minimum standard) Total programme duration Maximum time on one instrument Minimum time on other instrument Other possible combinations of minutes National 4 Grade 2 8 minutes 6 minutes 2 minutes 4 and 4 5 and 3 National 5 Grade 3 8 minutes 6 minutes 2 minutes 4 and 4 5 and 3 Higher Grade 4 12 minutes 8 minutes 4 minutes 6 and 6 7 and 5 Advanced Higher Grade 5 18 minutes 12 minutes 6 minutes 9 and 9 10 and 8 11 and 7 The programme time for each instrument should be carefully considered to ensure that each candidate has the opportunity to demonstrate appropriate musical and technical skills at the required level. The new flexibility of the balance of the number of minutes for each instrument will require consideration: careful selection of pieces for each individual candidate; careful adaptation of material, where appropriate. It is important to ensure that every candidate has the opportunity to perform to their full potential and it may be that, eg playing the minimum number of minutes on an instrument doesn t help them achieve this. 3

4 4. New Instrument Added to approved list - Ukulele The Ukulele is an increasingly popular instrument in schools and it is now approved for SQA Music Courses and Units at all levels. The grid of approved combinations of instruments is being updated to reflect this. When presenting ukulele for external exam purposes, it is not possible for the other instrumental programme to be guitar. For assessment purposes, prepare a ukulele programme exactly as you would a chordal guitar programme as the chordal and playing requirements are the same as guitar. The following document has a very helpful section on the requirements for chordal guitar, so please refer to this: National Qualifications Music: Performing document published October There is also an increasing range of commercially published music for ukulele. The instrument should be accompanied - in line with all other instruments - but there is no stipulation what the accompanying instrument(s) is, so it's an open choice. 5. Drumkit Requirements There is no change to SQA assessment requirements for drumkit and full guidance is given in the Appendix to this update. The one change is in the selection of styles for a drumkit programme (see page 2 of the Appendix). There is now a bank of styles to select from in order to compile a candidate's programme. Programmes of contrasting styles are required for the drumkit, and the style bank will help ensure this. 4

5 Appendix Drumkit requirements for the new qualifications for 2014 and after Drumkit requirements for each level are differentiated by three aspects: Number of styles Number of fills with Demand for 3 or level styles fills independence National 4 3 contrasting styles minimum of 3 different fills with National 5 4 contrasting styles minimum of 4 different fills with Higher 5 contrasting styles minimum of 4 different fills with Advanced Higher 6 contrasting styles minimum of 4 different fills with Drumkit Pieces and Styles There is a distinction between pieces and styles. At all levels, within any one drumkit programme, it is possible for one piece only to include two different styles. In this case double the number of required fills is not a requirement, eg in a Higher programme, if one piece contains two styles the requirement is for a minimum of 4 fills only. If a piece contains more than two styles only two of the styles contained in the piece will be assessed. In this instance it is the responsibility of the centre to identify the two styles which are to be assessed within the piece by clearly indicating this on the music. The centre should also ensure that other requisite styles are contained elsewhere in the programme. Adapting Materials As the requirements for each level is based on the number of styles, number of fills and use of 3 or, centres may need to carefully adapt materials music and/or backing tracks - in order to meet the requirements; this may mean inserting additional fills and increasing opportunities to demonstrate 4-way independence. Judicious cuts or fades may have to be made in order to comply with the time requirements at each level. Drumkit Documents and Guidance National Qualifications Music: Performing document published October Music: Performing Drum Kit Exemplification document published by SQA in August 2006 (Publication code: BB3188) Published music and graded resources for drumkit. Centres should ensure that any pieces selected for assessment adhere to SQA requirements. 5

6 Drumkit Styles June 2014 Update For SQA external assessment purposes candidates must perform a programme of contrasting styles and must select only one style from each of banks 1-9. Please refer to the number of styles required for each level. Bank 1 Bank 2 Bank 3 Bank 4 Bank 5 Bank 6 Bank 7 Bank 8 Bank 9 Rock Disco Blues Shuffle Jazz Waltz Reggae Cha Cha Irregular Heavy Rock Rock Ballad 16 th note rhythm (3 quavers to one crotchet) (2 or 4 feel) Time Signatures Metal Rock Pop 16 beat 12/8 Funk shuffle Swing 3 beats (Simple or Compound Time) Ska Bossa Nova Free choice of any other style not listed in Banks 1 8 Hip Hop Big Band Swing 9/8 Latin Soul Hard Rock Punk Samba Rumba Calypso Funk R n B Rock n roll 6

7 Additional Notes Percussion Categories Category 1 Category 2 drumkit Tuned percussion: marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel snare drum pipe band snare drum timpani For SQA assessment purposes, candidates must select one instrument only and perform a complete programme on either drumkit, snare drum, pipe band snare drum or timpani. It isn t possible to present a second instrumental programme on another instrument from Category 1. However, it is possible for a candidate to present, eg a drumkit programme and also present a complete programme on tuned percussion, as these instruments are in different percussion categories. Candidates presenting drumkit must be accompanied. This may be live or recorded. However, one unaccompanied piece may be included, but only one within any one programme. This would count as one of the styles in the programme. Guitar and Voice Programmes See advice on adapting materials on page 1. This would apply to other instruments/voice: Singers who choose to perform for the minimum two minutes would probably have to make judicious cuts to songs by performing a reduced number of verses and/or choruses Chordal guitarists who opt to play for the minimum two minutes will still be required to demonstrate the requisite number of chords for that level, and careful selection, adaptation and judicious cuts would have to be made 7